Chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco performs pantry alchemy to create this elegant dish. To complement his spicy Sriracha mayo–marinated shrimp, he serves a cooling puree of canned chickpeas, tahini and lebneh (a thick, strained yogurt cheese, available at Middle Eastern markets). For a quick cheat, you can use store-bought hummus and mix in Greek yogurt. Slideshow: Quick Fish RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Chefs' Easy Weeknight Dinners.
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This dish from chef Mourad Lahlou of Aziza in San Francisco is a fantastic way to solve the dilemma of feeding vegetarians and carnivores at the same table: People can choose to have the Moroccan-spiced lentils and butternut squash with or without merguez sausage, which is cooked separately. Slideshow: More Lamb RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Chefs' Easy Weeknight Dinners.
Chef Mourad Lahlou simmers mussels in a lovely saffron cream sauce. Lahlou prefers Mediterranean mussels. "The ones I get are called that, but they really come from the Pacific Northwest," he says. "They're plump, juicy and don't toughen up as much as other varieties when you cook them." Plus: More Fish & Seafood Recipes
When Mourad Lahlou first came to the U.S. from Morocco to study economics, he taught himself to cook because he was too broke to eat out. He had never heard of famed Mediterranean-food writer Paula Wolfert until she walked into his first Bay Area restaurant, Kasbah, over 10 years ago. "She knew more about my food than I did," says Lahlou. He then began using her 1973 cookbook, Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco, to help him make recipes like this spiced shrimp stew; the dish is on his menu at Aziza in San Francisco. More Hearty Stews
Mourad Lahlou poaches fresh chestnuts sous vide to accompany chicken breasts and buttery celery-root puree. F&W's adaptation calls for store-bought chestnuts that are already peeled and cooked. Fast and Easy Chicken Recipes
The light, creamy Riesling sauce is a great showcase for plump mussels. Fresh citrus, saffron and olives give the dish its Moroccan character. Slideshow: Cooking with White Wine
This dish was inspired by Moroccan lamb kebabs, which are marinated in charmoula—a tangy sauce of olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. Here, Mourad Lahlou uses the sauce for hanger steak. He salts the meat a day ahead; the simplified recipe calls for salting the steak right before cooking. More Amazing Steaks
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This terrific vegetarian entrée features fregola. Mourad Lahlou likes making the dish with seasonal heirloom tomatoes baked in salt; roasted grape tomatoes are a fine substitute. Slideshow: More Amazing Vegetarian Dishes
"In Morocco, people aren't big fans of desserts," says Mourad Lahlou. "We eat fresh fruit after lunch, but on a really good day, people might serve dates and cookies. I'm trying to capture that tradition and serve dates in a cake rather than whole to lessen their cloying sweetness." Slideshow: More Great Cake Recipes